smith



(No Modeli) 2 Sheets-Sheet G. G. SMITH.

LOGK.

No. 386,501. Patented July 24. 1888.

////////////////////////A|T|l| H'0 Z ///////////////////A s E /5 gsm&

N PUzns, Pholo-Lhogmphar. Washington, n. c.

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. G. SMITH.

LOGK.

No 386501. Patented July 24, 1888.

GEORGE G, SMITH, OF ST. ALBANS, VERMON'D LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 386501, dated July 24,1888 Application f'lel September 22, 1887. Rcnewed June 26, 1888. SerialNo. 273.201.

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. SMITH, of St.Albans, in the County ofFranklin and State of Verniont, have inventcd new and useful Improvementin Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the acconpanying drawings,and to the letters of reference inarked thercon, making` a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitndinal section of a lockcontaining ny invention, taken in theline 3 ;1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is asection of the same in line x e of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar sectionin line e z of Fig. 1, with the key partlyturned, as indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached seetional viewin detail of thekey, keybarrel, and spring in line (t (cof Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a Viewinperspective of a lock illnstrating a modification of the invention.Figs. 6 to 10 are scetional details illustrating another modification,Fig. 7 being a section, on an enlarged scale, in the line u u of Fig. G;Fig. 8, a side elevation, also upon an enlarged scale, of the keybarrelwith the key fitted therein; and Fig. 9 a cross-section in line o v, andFig. 10 a erosssection in line w w, of Fi z 8. Figs. ll to 13 aredetached views illustrating still another modification, Fig. 12 being across-section in line Z b, and Fg. 13 a similar cross-section, showingthe key-barrel partly turned.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to that class of looks in which the key operatesdirectly upon the bolt to aetuate it, and is guided and supported by abarrel nounted in the lock-case to turn with the key; and it has for itsobject to provide in a simple manner for the eonfinenent of the rotatingbarrel until it is released by the key and to increase thereby theellicieney and security of the lock.

lt consists in the conbination, with the rotatingk ey-barrel, ofa flatlooking-spring whose free end is adapted to nove in a plane parallelwith the axis of the barrel in position to be struck by the inner end ofthe key when it is inserted in the barrel and to be carried with it outof engagenent with the bari-el, so as to permit the key to be turned tooperate the lock.

(No nmlel.)

It consists, furthern'ore, in various details in the constructior andeombinationl of the several parts, as hcreinafter fully described.

In the acconpanyire drawings, A repre sents the case, B the bolt, and Oone of the tumblers of a tninbler-lock ol' simple form.

Y'Vithin the case Aa l ey-barrel, l), is mountcd in the usual nanner torotate in suitable bearings forned to receive its two ends in theopposite faces of the case. This barrel s preferablylongitudinallyslitted in the custonary manner with a radial groove orkeyway to receive a llat key, E, adapted to engage and move thelock-bolt.

An annular groove, c, is l'ormed about the inner or lower end of thebarrel D, inside of the case, whereby a shoulder, d, is produced, andflat faces a e (see Figs. 2, 3, and 1 are cut out longitudinally onopposite sidcs of the barrcl, parallel with each other, to a depth equalto that of the groove c, thereby producing a second slioulde-,f, on eachside of the barreLas shown in Figs. 2 and& A [lat springplate, F,slotted at one end to enbrace the portion of the barrel included betweenthe faces e e and to play into the groove c, is secnred at its oppositeend to the inner face of the case, so that said free slotted end,embracing` the barrel, shall, by its resiliency, bear automaticallyagainst the shoulders d orff of the barrel. When the flat faces c c ofthe barrel are enbraced by the spring, the barrel is thereby preventedi'ron tnrning; but when the spring is forced down or inward, so as toCarry tinto register with the cylindrical rccess c and below theshoulder d, the barrel will, by reason of said recess, be left free toturn. The spring is thus forced down or inward by means of the key Ewhen the key is inserted in the keyway of the barrel and pressed inwardto bring it into position to turn and lift the tu nbler Cand throw thebolt B of the lock. In brief, the free end of the plate F, by springingautomatically upward or inward, so engages the barrel D as to prevent itfroni turning; but by fitting the key E in the barrel and pressing itinward the springlato is thereby disengaged froni the bari-el, leaving`it free to turn with the key.

It is evident that instead of forning two flat faces, c e, on oppositesides of the barrel D, to be cngaged by the spring F, one will snfficeto IOO prevent a movement of the barrel, and, also, that the end of theplate F may be made to spring up into a notcli orrecess cut in thebarrel to prevent the barrel from turning, (see Fig. 7,) provided saidend be in position to be carried out of the notch by the key when thelatter is pressed inward into proper position to work the lock.

In the modification o'f my invention illustrated in Fig. 5 additionalsecurity is provided in the lock by combining with the spring plate F,adapted to engage the barrel D and prevent its turning, in nanner asdescribed, a later-al plate, G, having one or more slots, 1 2 3, cuttherein to correspond accurately with the divisions 4 5 6 of the bit Hof the key E, so that when a key having these divisions is pressed downupon the spring the slots l 2 3 will permit the divisions 4 5 6 to passthrough them to engage and operate, in the customary inanner, theappropriate tumblers G C' and bolt B of the lock. The springF willoperate in this case to prevent an engagement of the key with thetumblers and bolt until the spring has been forced down far enough torelease the barrel D and permit the key to turn. The tumblers G C' willthus be guarded by the spring F, so that they may not be lifted unlessthe spring be forced down or inward, and so held while the tumblcrs arebeing moved.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 the barrel D' isengaged by a series of springs, which are severally depressed bylongitudinal divisions of thekey, each from aposition of engagenent withthe barrel to a position in which the barrel is left free to rotateindependently thereof.

E', Fig. 6, represents thekey formed with a central longitudinal plate,m, carrying the customary bit, I-I, and with parallel lateral plates nn'. The barrel D' is formed with a central longitudinal radial groove orkeyway, 0, Fig. 7, therein, to receive the central key-plate, m, andwith parallel longitudinal recessesp p',cut out on either side thereof,to' receive the Jateral key-plates n n'.

An annular projection, r, (see Figs. 6 and 8,) is forned about theperiphery of the barrel, a short distance above its inner or lowerend,by cutting out two circu n ferential grooves, c and s, in thebarrel.

The longitudinal recesses p p' are enlarged laterally a short distanceabove thecircumferential groove s, as at p, (see Fig. 8,) and offsets f'`f' are formed thereby to stop the upward play of the side springsengaging the barrel. The side springs, F F, together with a centralparallel spring', F are secured at one end to the case-plate, so as toproject toward the key-barrel D'. The free ends of the side springs bearupwardly against the offsets f' f' and laterally against the flat facesof the recesses p p' therein, above the circumferential groove s, so asto prevent the barrel from turning. The central spring, F& enters thecentral groove or keyway, o, and by its engagement therewith perforns asimilar function.

The central spring, F is of such a length as that when depressed itwillregister with the circumferential groove c, and the later-al springsE F may be depressed to register with either of the circumferentialrecesses c or s. When all three of the springs are thus depressed, eachto register with one of said grooves, the barrel is left free to rot'atewith the key. While the central key-plate, m, will carry the centralspring, F to the annular groove c, the late'ral key-plate n' may be madeof the same length, so as to carry the spring F to the same groovec, thekey-plate n being of a length to carry the spring E to the groove s.

It is evident that a key adaptedto this particular relative arrangenientand adjustment of the several springs and grooves is required to permita rotation of the key-barrel, and that by varying the lengths of therespective keyplates and the position of the annulargrooves in thebarrel a very large number of changes can be readily made in the looks.

In the modification of ny invention illustrated in Figs.`l1 to 13 thebarrel D is represented as fitted t-o rotate upon the plate A' of thecase at a right angle thereto upon asingle bearing, its outer or upperend being left free to enter the tubular stem of the key E This barrelis formed with alongitudinal rib, t, projecting radially therefrom, andthe key is logitudinally slotted to pass over said rib.

The spring-plate F is notched at its free end to embrace said rib t, andis so adjusted with reference thereto as that when free it will enbraceand engage thesame, (see Figs. 11 and 12,) and thereby prevent thebarrel from turning.

Below the end of this rib t, and near to the inner face of thecase-plate A', to which the barrel is pivoted, an annular flange orcollar, i, 'is formed; but the portion thereof under the end ofthe ribis cut away, (see Figs. 12 and 13,) to permit the end of the spring Fplaying on said rib to be depressed by the key below the flange, so thatwhen the spring is thus depressed to clear the rib and the barrel isturned the spring will be caught and held under the fiange, as shown inFig. 13.

I claim as my inVention-- 1. The combination, in a lock, with a suitableexternal case, A, a key-barrel, D, fitted to rotate therein,andwhoseinner end is formed with a flat surface or snrfaces parallel withits' axis, a key adapted to be supported andguided by said barrel, and abolt, B, to be actnated by said key,of a flat spring Secured to thecase, and whose free end, noving in a plane parallel with the axis ofsaid barrel, springs into contact with the flat surface of the barrel tostop the rotation thereof, and in position to be struck and depressed bythe inner end of the key when in readiness to be turned to actuate thebolt, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a lock, of a bolt, a

key for actuating the same, a rotating keybarrel to engage the key andturn with it and formed with an encircling groove or recess, a

IOO

IIO

IZS

'spring-pime whose free end engages the ba'- In testimony whereofhavesigned my name rel to stop it, and is adapted to be earried by tothis specification in the presence of two sub- [O the key into registerWith the eneirclinggroove seribing witnesses.

of the burrel to permt its rotation, and a lat- 5 eral slottedguard-p1ate attached to thespring- SMIFH' plate and interposed betweenthe burrel and XVitnesses: the bolt, substzmtially in the manner and forA. N. JESBERA,

the purpose heren set forth. 1). A. BURR.

